XOLOS POPULAR, BUT SEEKING MORE ANGLO-AMERICAN FANS

Decals sporting the Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles team logo adorn the back windows of pickup trucks and SUVs throughout San Diego County. You’ve probably seen the emblem during your commute, the one featuring a hairless ancient Aztec dog stretching its neck from inside white and red circles.

And you might see a lot more heading into Mission Valley tonight. The Xolos play Club America, one of Mexico’s most popular teams, in a friendly at Qualcomm Stadium.

The match is the summer version of the San Diego Clasico. Both teams are in the preseason heading into the Apertura tournament which starts late July.

Club America has its army of followers but the Xolos have created hype in Tijuana, some of it splashing over the fence into Mexican-American communities.

Some say the Xolos’ popularity has risen in San Diego, only behind the Chargers and Padres. Xolos regular-season matches had better television ratings over SDSU’s men’s basketball games in the spring.

But those facts are not always recognized in the English-language media, despite the team’s popularity in San Diego amid English speakers and bilingual communities.

At least that’s how Brian Quinn, an assistant coach on USD’s men’s team and a local soccer guru sees it.

“That’s an interesting concept because the Mexican national team comes in and draws 70,000 into (Qualcomm) Stadium and you barely hear about it,” Quinn said. “Mexican stations will tell you. There is a deficiency of information. Other ethnic groups also have soccer fans.”

But how appealing are the Xolos to groups outside Mexican-American neighborhoods, including Anglo-Americans?

After all, San Diego is a hotbed for futbol. There are herds of youth soccer leagues. It has produced players on United States men’s and women’s World Cup teams.

“The Xolos are in the right path,” Quinn said. “They should receive more coverage. We should see at least three stories in the paper during the week because of the interest they draw.”

But Club Tijuana Assistant General Manager and Francis Parker High alum Roberto Cornejo hopes to see a diverse crowd.

“Our idea is to be a regional team,” Cornejo said. “We think Southern California is our region. We know we have Anglo-American fans. You can see them at our stadium (Estadio Caliente). We are trying to reach them and bridge the gap.”

Club Tijuana is trying to do that through its youth academies in San Diego, Chula Vista and Temecula. Plus, the team is trying to market its five players with U.S. passports.

Corona, who was part of the Under-23 squad that failed to reach the London Games next month, made his debut with Jurgen Klinsmann’s senior team as a substitute in a friendly against Scotland. He and Castillo were also on the bench for a World Cup qualifier.